


Iridescent

by kusirs



Category: Bleach
Genre: Crushes, F/M, HitsuKarin Week, Romance, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:42:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29636214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kusirs/pseuds/kusirs
Summary: He liked to watch sunsets alone, but there's this girl who always keeps coming by. He doesn't say anything, expecting that she would go away sooner or later - but she doesn't. Instead, she keeps appearing more and more since then.A short fanfic I wrote two years ago
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Kurosaki Karin
Kudos: 8





	1. Introductions

There's something about the sunset that managed to caste all of his worries away.

Sunlight cascaded across the roof tiles and painted them in gold; the darkness eager to come out and the sun dwindling in the horizon. Often at times like this, he was alone, both in the fact that humans couldn't see him and his colleges were ordered not to find him. With the remainder of his day spent here, he was filled with ease and relaxation that swept over this small town. Sitting nonchalantly on the metal railing that bordered the road while the grass gently grazed his feet. It was an odd place to be, not to mention it was an odd place to watch the sunset. But yet somehow it was perfect because of it.

He took a deep breath. Small footsteps in the background as that exhale had become a sigh. It must be her.

To his dismay, he wasn't always alone. Too frequently he found himself seeing the same girl passed here every few days or so. It doesn't stop there –no, she had to stop and watch the sunset as well. He didn't know why what of it piqued his interest. Whoever she was, she managed to keep his curiosity at an all-time high despite the fact they had never talked to each other.

He sensed her presence and looked back. She appeared different without the usual ponytail as her black hair hung just below her shoulders. Not to mention she was also dressed differently, wearing a black turtle neck and jeans instead of her gym clothes he often saw her in.

" You know I can see you staring at me like that?" She smiled cheekily, " Like what you see?"

Taken back by the comment, he jerked away from her. Quickly, he shook off his disbelief and composed himself. She swung her legs over the railing and sat next to him, laughing at his shocked expression.

" So you can actually see me. How long have you been putting up that charade for?" He asked.

She shrugged, " I don't know...maybe this entire time? I'm Karin by the way."

He hesitated to respond, still thrown off by this girl. Outwardly annoyed, she scoffed as he shook his head and ignored her. He looked towards the sky, it was getting dark and he had to re-group with his other colleagues sooner or later. His vision made its way back to her as he paused, noticing something about her face.

"...Were you crying?"

"What?" Her eyes widened as she rubbed them, hoping that the redness would fade away the more pressure she added to it. " Oh....it's nothing."

She had lowered her head as he kept his gaze on her. He froze, being that he wasn't the most empathetic person to come and talk to, he wasn't sure what his next course of action was to comfort this girl.

" Are you sure?..." He asked. Great, he couldn't believe that he was engaging more of this conversation. She scoffed.

" Well, aren't you the nosy one?" She smiled softly.

He looked away, " You don't need to answer, it was rather intrusive of me."

The girl, Karin, didn't seem to be fazed and shook her head, " It's alright, I don't mind telling someone when all they do is sit here." she commented as he was about to retort but there was nothing to argue against.

She took a deep breath. Her hands gripped tightly on the metal while her legs held still. He placed his focus onto her, studying the way her smile took a dip and as she shakily let her gaze lower itself.

" I was visiting my mother's grave earlier. Today is her death anniversary."

There was a heavy curtain pulled over them, succumbing the mood down into a dark abyss of her own. She wore a rather sombre expression, one that had known death far too many times and far too young. She sat quietly and rubbed her eyes again.

" You've got all silent on me. What's up with that?" she said, her words cracking at the slightest.

" ..." He was at a loss for her words, not knowing if anything he did say would help her in this case, " I'm sorry for your loss. It must be difficult living without a mother." He spoke empathetically, his words spoken with gentleness and care.

She glanced over, " Thanks but don't worry, it's nothing."

He silently examined the trembling motion of her hands; how she constantly cautioned herself with each word she said and how she attempted to hide her face each time.

She sighed, " Today was an off day."

They stayed silent for a while, remaining seated as he took in a deep breathe.

" For a young person such as yourself, I suggest you don't bottle these feelings up," he spoke wisely, " Death isn't nothing. You can accept it, but you can't call it nothing."

Just as he finished, the winds picked up and a cool breeze swept past them, a shiver down to her spine as she rubbed her arms together. He was completely fine, not even flinching at the cold as she waited for it to leave.

" Me? Young? What are you?—an old man?" She joked, he shook his head as a soft grin plastered her lips.

She wrapped her arms tightly across her chest, "You seem to know a lot about this don't ya. Tell me again...just who are you?"

He took a moment as her gaze locked on his. This time, she was adamant that she would get an answer. He folded his arms and hesitate but all before looking over.

" I'm a spirit."


	2. Band-aid

The following day he came by a bit later than usual. Typically, hollow cleansing wouldn't take him that long but today somehow managed to be different. Despite so, he didn't worry too much about the matter, if anything should arise out of that, he was certain his team could handle it.

" Hey, there spirit-dude!"

She yelled at him and waved. He was graced to see a familiar figure already at his unofficial designated spot. Of course, it was her.

" That's not my name."

She scoffed, " Well what else am I suppose to call you? F-Y-I, you never told me what your name was."

"I—," He paused, averting his gaze in defeat as she chuckled with pride.

" See?—hm?" She looked downwards and noticed a large cut on the top of his hand. Stemming from one end to the other, " What happened there?"

Surprised, he looked down to see there had been indeed an injury on him. One that he couldn't remember receiving, " Just an accident. It's not a big deal."

She shook her head, " Look how deep that is. We have to clean it before it gets infected." She asked, " Do you mind if I take your hand for a minute?"

He oddly stared at her before agreeing to whatever she had in mind to do. Just before, she grabbed a few things out of her gym bag, turning out to be a couple of large-sized band-aid, a cotton pad and some disinfectant. To his surprise, her grip was gentle despite its rough appearance and her callouses.

" This might just hurt but only for a little bit." She dabbed the cotton pad soaked with the disinfectant onto his wound. It stung only just a bit as he eventually got used to the irritation. Carefully, she unwrapped and placed the band-aid over his hand.

" Sorry, that's the only design I have left—and don't worry—I keep these things clean even though they were in my gym bag. Trust me."

He took back his hand and stared at the Totoro-themed bandage. Gazing back up whilst she put her equipment away, " Thanks."

She smiled, " No problem."

He couldn't take his gaze off his hand, slightly entertained by the cartoonish design in contrast to him, _'I wonder what Matsumoto thinks of this.'_

" So...I guess this brings up a good question. How come you have all this in your bag?" He asked, " Especially these kinds of designs?"

Just for a bit, he was sure she got a little bit of embarrassment before covering it up quickly with a shrug.

" Nothing much. You'll be surprised by how many kids get hurt while playing football." She said, " I'll have to hold accountable if those brats go sobbing to their parents."

She folded her arms as the scene itself was amusing to him. He didn't know why but he wanted this atmosphere to stay. Something about it that made it comfortable to be here. They continued talking sparsely as he found out that she indeed tutored young kids to play football. She also was the captain of her football team which explains why she often was dressed like this. Not to mention her family ran a clinic so all of this was just common knowledge to her.

Although that moment seemed short-lived, he found himself feeling content with it either way. An hour later, he knew she would have to pick up her things and start heading home.

" Don't stay too late out Mr Spirit."

He shook his head, " I should be saying that to you." He replied, watching as she lightheartedly laughed and left.

" Also—,"

However, it was then he remembered at the instant—he'd never told her his name.


	3. Alone

A week after and he was surprised at how quiet it seemed. There was a sudden shift in the mood as he was back to being with himself again. That was nothing new, he was used to being alone several times. So how come this time it felt different?

He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt like this. Probably the clearest memory would be when Momo left to become a shinigami. As soon as she did, the house never felt the same since, and he was feeling a tiny bit of it here.

He shook his head and snapped out of his trance; this type of thinking was ridiculous, he barely even knew the girl. They had only talked a couple of times. For all he knew, he might never see her again and that was okay. He had his own life and so did she.

" Yo Spirit man!"

For some reason, that voice lit a bit of joy in him.

He turned around to see she was running towards him. "...you're here?" She stopped once she was in front of him, taking a deep breath while both hands at her sides.

" Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, " I forgot to mention that my family went on a trip the last few days. So—How have you been?"

He appeared genuinely surprised at the question as not often had anyone asked him that. " Just fine. The same." He responded. There was a fuzzy feeling inside of him he couldn't leave by unnoticed. A warmth spreading at the thought of her asking. She sat next to him as that sensation heightened into something he wasn't sure of.

"—Man, you really got it lame here. " She shook her head, " Maybe you should take a break from all of this sun gazing and actually get to know the town."

" What are you suggesting?" He eyed her sceptically.

" Duh—you need to get your ass off this metal. There's more to this place than the sun ya know?" She folded her arms and scoffed, " It's final, we're going into town tomorrow. Meet me at my house at 5:00 PM sharp."

" Your house? I don't even know where you live!" He retaliated as she placed her hand out, "...what?"

She smiled, " Your phone. I'm putting my address and phone number down. You'll need it."

He stared at her slightly confused; he wasn't exactly sure what a phone was asides the couple of times he thought he'd seen one. The closest thing that could compare to one was his pager. He took it out of his pocket and handed it to her.

" This is your phone?!" She exclaimed and surprised by the device. Deciding it was not wise to ask any further, she managed to find his contacts and entered her phone number in. " Here, you're all set. Just check in your notes to find my house and call me if you get lost."

She began to start walking the other way, waving back as if anything that had just transpired was completely normal—Well to him at least.

" See ya spirit-man!"

"Wait!—," his voices wavered and he knew it couldn't reach her. Defeated, he decided to look through his phone, opening his contacts to see her name under Matsumoto and the Gotei 13th HQ number.

"Karin."


	4. Day out

The weekend didn't take long to arrive. He was downstairs at Orihime's door and ready to walk out before someone decided to stop him.

" Captain, where are you going?"

He cringed at the sound of her voice. Why her and why now? He looked back with a poker face and replied, " Just out."

" Out?" She said in a questionable manner, " Then why are you in your gigai?"

He froze. He obviously couldn't tell her he was meeting a girl he met only recently. She'll give him hell for it. He gulped.

" Orihime asked me to go buy groceries since she's out. Now if you don't mind, I'll be heading out now." He answered smoothly, closing the door behind him and heading to her address.

He soon arrived at a street which he could only assume was where she lived. It had a familiar vibe to it which he couldn't pinpoint why. After a few turns, he arrived at the clinic that she talked about and stood right outside the door.

He pressed the doorbell as he heard a few voices behind the door. Standing idly by, he decided to look; he read the sign and froze.

Kurosaki Clinic.

The door opened as he glanced at her face. She wore a nice dark blue sweater, her hair in a usual ponytail and a blonde girl in the distance.

"—Yo, glad you could find my place." She greeted.

He nodded as he couldn't wrap his head around the idea. "This _couldn't be—_ ,"

" Karin~ Make sure your back before curfew!" Another female voice called in the back. " Have fun with your boyfriend~"

She seemed surprised that Yuzu was able to see him and also at that comment, " He's not my boyfriend, Yuzu! Either way, I'll see you later." She bid before closing the door behind her. He blinked a couple of times as she snapped him out of his daze.

" Sorry about that..." She tried to wipe the blue off. Afterwards, she looked at him curiously, " How in the world can my sister see you?"

He smirked, obviously amused by her curiosity, " I'm wearing faux body so I can appear visible to humans. I believe it would be weird if people saw you talking to nobody."

" I guess so..." she looked away after that visualization. He couldn't help but noticed how she looked cute acting all flustered.

_'What am I thinking?'_ He shook his head and followed her lead. Watching as she explained the plan for the day.

" So, first I think I'm taking you to a restaurant for dinner. You up for that?" She glanced over to his way, he shrugged.

" I'm fine with anything. You're taking the lead here."

She grinned, " Perfect. After that, I'll just show you around and there's probably some good book stores we can go to."

Content with the idea they continued to head downtown while she, as usual, described how her day was. It wasn't like he mind it though, he kind of just accepted it and listened.

Soon after, he noticed the streets became more vibrant with people and stores lit up. The noise from crowds and cars riddled the area as he made sure to stick by her. She walked with ease, obviously used to the chaos while she evaluated the restaurants nearby.

" What type of food are you feeling?" She asked out of nowhere.

" Um...I'm not sure." He replied, " I've only ever eaten Japanese food." He said. As a matter of fact, he wasn't sure what another type of food was there.

" Alright, that means we have to get you to try something new. Have you ever tried any western food?"

He stared at her in complete confusion, " No...what kind of food does it have?"

" Oh, there's like all types and level of fanciness. But if you never tried it before, I'm totally making you try this." She stated. The crowd grew thicker and she held onto his hand, making sure he wouldn't lose sight of her.

They arrived at a diner and the restaurant was decorated in a 50's theme setting. They were sat down and handed menus as everything seemed foreign to him. She obviously saw his puzzlement and pointed to something on the menu.

" If you're looking for food, I suggest getting a burger. It's kinda like a circular sandwich with a beef patty, vegetables and cheese in between." She explained as he visualized it in his head. He kind of understood it but not entirely, "...And you should have some fries with it then you'll have a classic simple American dish."

"O-okay," he responded. The server came by as they ordered their food. They waited only moments later when the waiter came back again. The steam coming off the buns and fries while the fresh smell of oil and grease filled his senses. This was nothing like he had before in terms of food and as he looked up, he already saw that she had started eating hers.

" C'mon, dig in. It's gonna get cold." She encouraged him and he did as she told him. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as he expected and turned out to be good.

" Good right?"

He nodded his head and wiped his mouth. Out of nowhere, the lights had dimmed into a dark purple reddish glow and music slowed down into a ballad. He looked at her as she seemed to not know what was going on either. The server had returned to the table wearing a heart-shaped hair band and she did not seem happy about it.

" Hi there, fortunate for you two, tonight our restaurant is doing a special discount. It's only offered to couples in the spirit of Valentine's Day this upcoming week. As a bonus, we are also giving away a free cake if you would like."

He gazed over to the other tables as many of them were taking pictures and commemorating this moment. She, however, looked beat red at what as going on but he couldn't understand why.

The server waited on their response as she finally spoke but shakily, " Thank you...we'll also take the cake."

A while after they'd paid for their dish (including the discount), he found himself to be sitting by a nearby bench under a tree with her. They'd agreed to eat the cake here as she stuffed herself with it. Surprisingly, she had gotten quiet and he knew something was still bothering her. Nervousness evident on her face, he finally decided to do something about the situation.

" You know you shouldn't keep your feelings inside like that, right?"

She nearly choked after he spoke, alarming him to prepare for the worst. She simply patted herself a couple of times before regaining her composure as a shy smile made it to her lips.

" Ha...I feel like I've heard those words before," she said and took a deep breathe in, " Sorry for acting like this, I'm acting so worked up over nothing."

Now he was curious, " Worked up over what?"

She blushed again. There she goes with that face. That fact that he couldn't help looking at constantly. Why was she having so much of an effect over him? He wanted to know why she was blushing this hard until he heard a small voice.

" U-uh, you're getting a bit close..."

He snapped out of his daze, his eyes went wide open and he assessed what was going on. Her face was barely an inch away from his and the fact she was blushing was because of him. He leaned back and felt himself losing focus. He couldn't believe he did that. What was he thinking? Why did his body move on its own?

"...I apologise. That was improper of me." He said quietly and made sure to keep his distance. Suddenly he felt her hand on his shoulder as he instantly looked over.

" It's alright, I don't want you to feel bad over nothing," She reassured him and urged him to get up, " Let's get moving. There's still more I have to show you."

He ditched the thoughts that clouded his head and did what she said. He felt the slightest ease knowing that she was leading him. He stood up and followed her, but before they went anywhere, he stopped her.

" Wait, I feel like this is long overdue and I didn't get a chance to tell you this." He mentioned as her face looked up at him. He extended his hand.

" Let me introduce myself properly this time. My name is Hitsugaya Toshiro."

She looked at him strangely before chuckling, " I guess I should also say my full name too." she grabbed his and shook it.

" I'm Kurosaki Karin, nice to meet your acquaintance."


	5. Movie Night

He knew it. Of course, she was one.

The following morning, he couldn't help but be bombarded with the memories from last night's outing. They had gone to several places, one of his favourites was the book shops and candy stores where he bought some candies beans. She severely teased him about it, calling him an old man and all of the sorts.

He stood by the washroom sink while his hands held onto the sides. Water dripping from his face as he lifted it up to see his reflection in the mirror.

 _Kurosaki Karin_. No wonder her presence struck a familiar chord. He really couldn't believe that he was hanging out with Kurosaki Ichigo's sister. Not to mention how she'd invited him to her house this afternoon.

' _What did I_ _get_ _myself into?'_ He grabbed his head and ruffled his hair. He distinctly remembered how the night had ended, as they stood by her doorstep, she'd invited him to come to her house tomorrow. He was caught off guard and didn't think it through before accepting the offer, now regretting his decision, he was totally unprepared for what was to come later today.

A knock on his room's door deconstructed his silence and he knew just who it was from that. After leaving the washroom, he draped a towel around his neck and dried off his face, quickly pulling any shirt he could find before opening the door. To his un-surprise, it was Matsumoto. Posing there with her hands out which could only mean she needed more of the division's budget again.

He sighed and attempted to close it before her hands stopped the door.

" Hey, Captain! Please don't treat your subordinate like that, that's too cruel~" She cried and begged for his mercy. He dragged the door inwards harder but, knowing who she was, she pushed back in doubled the strength. Of course, nothing could get in her way once she set a goal.

" Matsumoto, you do understand that we cannot afford to spend more money on pointless activities. This was given to us as an emergency in the living world, not for your pleasure or luxury." He scolded. However, her goofy personality shifted as a sinister expression framed her face.

" Oh really now?" She questioned which was very unsettling even for him, " If I can remember right, didn't you spend most of the money on a date yesterday? Captain?..."

He froze and let go of the force he had on the door, using this opportunity, she pushed back and made herself comfortable inside his room. There were a million questions going through his head and he didn't know which one to start with; all he could manage to do was stare in disbelief at his lieutenant.

He glared at her, " Matsumoto, what do you have to back up this large accusation?"

She grinned.

" Alright.. if you must insist." She flicked her hair to the side and stared at him straight-on, " Where's all the grocery you said you were going to buy?"

"I–," He couldn't finish his words. She had done it now, of all things, he couldn't believe something so miniscule like that could play such a decisive role that is today. He tightened his fist and shook his head; the most appropriate set of action was to not give any opportunity for her to target or debunk him any further. In fact, he'll just say it as it was.

" How or who you received this information from is incorrect, I wasn't on a date." He stated it clearly, " Yes I lied that I wasn't going grocery shopping, but that doesn't mean that I was on a date. It doesn't qualify as one."

He looked back but she was still not convinced and folded her arms accordingly. She asked once again, " Then tell me this, if hanging out with a girl the whole night and going to dinner is not a date, then what is?"

The question held out for a bit as he looked away, not wanting to face her for some reason while he leaned himself by the window. He murmured, " It isn't a date if the intention of it wasn't there."

He expected the conversation to be over there and then, but Matsumoto had to come up with another question he needed to wrap his mind around.

"If that's the case...How do you know it wasn't her intention? Have you ever imagine that maybe she wanted to go on a date with you?"

_...she wanted to go on a date with you?_

He hadn't thought about it that way. Not being able to reply any further, she granted it that the situation was in her favour and Toshiro could do nothing to fully stop her. Once she had her money, she was about to leave the room, not before turning back to say something first.

" Oh, by the way, if you're going to visit her again, I suggest wearing something better than what you have going on there."

He watched as she walked away, _See ya Captain!~_ " her voice sang from all the way outside, doing him a favour of closing the door on her way out.

Still, he couldn't believe it. What Matsumoto said couldn't be true. Sure it was only the two of them and they were mistaken as a couple, but it was in no way shape or form anything romantic. He walked to his bedroom mirror, looking down at the shirt and realising what Matsumoto meant. Walking around with this horrendous Doraemon themed shirt was not going to gain the respect he sought for.

As time went by, he made sure to check his watch and be there on time. After a lot of mental training and long conversations with his zanpakto, he couldn't shake off his cautionary thinking. Why was he even nervous? Why was coming here more nerve racking than fighting on the battlefield?

Now at her doorstep, he realised the idea of this was more daunting than he imagined. Lifting up his hand, he knocked on the door and did not need to wait long before it opened.

" O-oh, hi there!"

He looked to see someone else had opened the door—not her. She had blonde hair and if he could remember right, that must be her sister from the last time he visited.

She turned around and yelled, " Karin, come get your man!"

Hurried footsteps rushed downstairs as a flustered face girl marched towards the door. She dragged her sister aside and wiped off her embarrassment before inviting him in.

She cleared her throat, " Ignore what my sister said—welcome, make yourself comfortable until dinner is ready."

Despite saying that, he was still hesitant to sit down. She, of course, scolded at him and made him sit on the couches in her living room. Afterwards, she went on ahead to get something while her sister was there as the host. She leaned forward, a curious and mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So...what do you think of Karin?"

" Excuse me, pardon?"

She folded her arms, " You heard me, what do you think of Karin so far?"

He took a big gulp of air. What kind of question is that, and how do you respond? He felt his face getting hot as he leaned away.

" I don't know how to respond to that Kuros–"

" Eh, just call me Yuzu," she cut him off, " It'll get confusing if you keep going by our surnames. Not to mention, what's your name?"

He blinked a couple of times, " It's Hitsugaya Toshiro. Nice to meet you Yu-Yuzu..."

He felt the tension released from himself knowing that he got that out of the way. She nodded at the name and wrote it down on her notebook she got out of nowhere. " I see, that's a beautiful name. Now Toshiro, you haven't answered my question–what's Karin to you?"

Upon hearing it, he couldn't find any answer. His mouth went dry as so many thoughts went through his head. What is she to him? After all, they haven't met much but she managed to bring forth new emotions he couldn't decipher neither could he come to understand it.

" ...I think she's—,"

Fortunately, he heard someone come down and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, something to break off this tense atmosphere. He saw Yuzu's demeanour changed as she was just edging with excitement until her sister cut him off.

" Oi Yuzu, you think dinner's ready yet?" She asked as Yuzu checked her watch.

" It should be ready by now. I'll go check."

Yuzu lifted herself from her seat and went to the kitchen. Karin filled in the absence as she noticed something off about him, " You good? Did my sister asked anything weird?"

" Uh...no, no she didn't." He replied awkwardly as she shook her head.

" Aw man, she totally did," Karin massaged the bridge of her nose, " She always does this to the guys I bring. So sorry."

There was a call from the kitchen as Yuzu peaked her head into the living room, " Dinner's ready folks! Come and eat!"

Karin looked over and back to him, " Guess it's finally time." She said and walked ahead. He stood there idly and remembered what she said. It stunned him for a bit to think she brought others guys here too.

He scorned himself. Who was he to police over who she brought over? It wasn't like they were dating nor was he her boyfriend.

 _'Boyfriend?'_ That thought suddenly made him flustered as he shook it off. There was no reason for him to be acting this worked up. Determined, he walked forward and into the kitchen. There the two sisters were as he gazed upon the wonderful display of food.

" This looks amazing, Yuz! Don't you agree Toshiro?" She said. He was a bit surprised that she called him by his first name. However, it made sense for her to do so.

He nodded, " Yes, thank you very much Yuzu."

He pulled out a hair as they all sat around the table and thanked for the food. Like it's appearance, the dinner was delicious and he savoured any minute of it. After eating Inoue's food for so long, this was like heaven.

Afterwards, Karin and Yuzu agreed to watch a movie and (forcefully) dragged him into it. He checked the time while the two argued over which bad romantic movie was best to watch in the back. It wasn't too late and he could spare the remainder of his night here. The bickering continued and they'd pinned down to two movies. Honestly, he couldn't understand the logic behind it but he didn't want to be rude.

Karin sat next to him while Yuzu sat on her right. They huddled together with the large bowl of popcorn in between as the opening scene began rolling. It was obvious at first glance that the movie had zero budget, with so many cliches, redundant jokes and oversaturated romantic tropes, the three still enjoyed it regardless.

Towards the end, the heroine had finally confessed their love to the thick-headed male. Yuzu was sobbing, despite knowing the movie didn't deserve a tear from her, she still cried. The tears were too much as she eventually left in search of napkins and they were left alone together.

Despite being alone with her several times before, this time felt much more awkward just to have her sitting beside him. Was it that they were too close or was he over-thinking it? He couldn't read her face and looked forward to avoiding any eye contact.

" Hey, can I tell you something?" She asked, he looked over to see her face. He'd never noticed it before but her grey eyes were beautiful. He gravitated to them as it suddenly stood out so clear at this very moment.

" U-Uh yes. What's the matter?"

He stuttered. He couldn't believe this, him of all people to speak so shakily, something must be wrong with him.

" Do you mind coming closer? It's kind of embarrassing."

Her voice sounded so velvety as he couldn't resist but to do what she said. He'd leaned in and drew his ear closer.

" I like you."

Before he knew it, she kissed him.


	6. Questions

She'd kissed him.

He watched as she backed off and her eyes looked away out of embarrassment. He remained still, lost in all the emotions he was feeling, he couldn't fully comprehend what had just happened. Before he could say anything or even make an expression, Yuzu arrived and Karin was back to usual.

She didn't say anything else.

When it was time for him to leave, he walked over with Karin and stood by the door, overwhelmed by the silence that cursed upon them. He for one didn't know what to say and she didn't seem to know as well. The two could feel the soft touches from the wind on their skin, the light that surrounded them like stars and the anxiousness that built inside both of them. Her head hung low and distant objects blurred behind her like she was glowing. Karin made sure to not look in his eyes the entire time while he waited desperately for something to happen.

" I'm sorry. "

Karin closed the door and, then and there, he was met with a flat wooden surface. It closed on his face while hurried footsteps faded out of his line of hearing.

He found himself lingering by their doorstep before heeding caution that it was in due time he had to start heading back. Following the dark trail back home. Alone.

Walking had never felt so aimless to Toshiro and this was a first. On his way back he contemplated many things, and through the midst of his angst and confusion, his paths had crossways with these two women by the time he arrived at Inoue's apartment. Both ladies appalled while they hugged onto their sofa pillows tightly.

" So let me get this straight– YOU GUYS DID _WHAT_?"

Why did he even bother to come to these two?

The news seemed to have been the next natural disaster that hastened the Earth to its impending doom. With what humans have been doing to their planet, he wasn't surprised that the world had become so fragile to break at this so-called "revelation".

" Captain, do you really not know why she said that?"

He could only stare back cluelessly. Of course, he didn't know, that was why he had sought the consultation from Matsumoto and Orihime who he'd never thought he would listen to their love advice as of the moment.

" No. Please do tell because that's why I'm here." He stated as the two women looked at each other knowingly. Their expressions gave the impression that they had dealt with a case similar to this several times before to warrant such weird looks.

" First of all, Hitsugaya, when a girl does something really bold as such, we can become very perceptive to how the person received it." She explained and it all sounded like another language was being spoken to him.

Matsumoto stepped in, " What she's trying to say, Captain–she thought you didn't like her back!"

" W-What?!" He felt his eyes turning into spirals and completely lost in this new realm of information. Matsumoto asked again.

" So Captain, do you like her back?"

He paused as the two pairs of eyes were attentively staring into his own.

So this emotion that he was feeling...did it mean he liked her?

He gripped onto the edges of his seat and for once he didn't exude the same stern or confident aura he had before.

For now, Toshiro was back to being a small kid admitting his first crush.

"...yes."

* * *

After several choirs of squeals and fangirling, he finally had the chance to be alone in his room. Sitting silently while his thoughts enwrapped by the thought of her. How come he never did anything when she boldly and explicitly showed that she liked him? More importantly, just how dumb could the proclaimed prodigy get?

He rolled onto the side of his bed and his eyes peeked at the moon hovering in the skies. He, Hitsugaya Toshiro, a spirit that has lived long enough to see the travesties of war, suffering and many battles, still didn't know what it felt like to be attracted or have it directed towards him. The image of her face appeared vividly in his vision. To look in her eyes and be lost in them, her smile encapturing his focus while her laugh made him feel warm inside. This was on the likes he'd never encountered before and, for the first time he had to admit, it terrified him.

Attraction was daunting.

There were too many open-ended questions when it came to emotions. No clear cut answer that could be solved in a period of time; on the contrary, if he didn't do something about it, it might go on forever and he couldn't have that.

However, with that came the reminder that she wasn't just no other girl who happened to be able to see him, she was Kurosaki Ichigo's younger sister–and from what he could remember, her dad was also Shiba Isshin.

Great. He couldn't possibly forget that. He didn't have the luxury to.

Now, Toshiro already had a rough idea of what he felt for this girl, now came the question was to do next? Judging by what his lieutenant said, she probably thought he did not reciprocate her feelings when in fact, it was the opposite. He was just too shock to have elevated the awkwardness of the situation.

He wrapped the blanket closer to his body.

Attraction was certainly a daunting place.

He hit the edge of his bedside table and knocked his pager off. The screen flipped open and it screen glowed in the darkness in his room. Toshiro reaches out to get it as he held it in his hand, staring at the bright screen that illuminated his face. His fingers pressed a couple of buttons as the phone app appeared and he scrolled all the way to the letter K.

Karin.

Seeing her name now made him ache and tight in his chest. He pressed on it as two options appeared—call or text.

He's never text often, most often times he used to relay and report information back when something urgent occurred. Now his eyes were attentively squinting at the options as his hands hovered around bee the button.

He wasn't thinking straight. The old Toshiro would have left it the way it was and moved on. The usual Toshiro would never ever feel compelled to do something so outside of his comfort zone.

He gulped and found his fingers were typing.

Karin  
  


> ME:  
>  hey.  
>    
>    
> 

He'd sent it and buried himself in his pillow.

What was he doing?


	7. Chapter 7

10 minutes never felt longer than now.

He threw his phone to the side of the bed, finding himself wrestling with the blanket since he couldn't sleep. His mind felt so scattered and wrapped with emotions he never had before. Sighing, his hands grazed on the bedsheets as moonlight peered into his room, shining dimly on his face.

She wasn't going to answer. That idea was stupid in the first place. He had no idea why he thought she should have done that. Now, it was too late and he didn't know how to delete a message.

Toshiro found himself sitting upright and unable to shake off this uneasiness on him. In the midst of darkness, to his right, he noticed his screen glowed as a beeping noise alarmed his ears.

He checked the two red dots that appeared on the map. As expected, a hollow had just appeared. His soul candy in one hand, he popped it into his mouth and elevated out of his faux body. Matsumoto must have noticed as he sensed her spiritual pressure grew without the limits of a human body.

They went opposite directions as Toshiro flash-stepped his way before the presence of the hollow. Recognizing the similar scenery, he instantly made it out to be the Kurosaki household.

'I need to finish this off quick.' He charged forward with his sword, every move was meticulous and calculated as the hollow withered with each strike. Despite so, it was a fast creature and was sharp compared to the many others.

Suddenly, it's attention drifted away from him and focused on the ground. Sensing the familiar aura, he followed its view and immediately dived downwards.

" KARIN!"

" Toshiro?!"

She flicked her head upwards and noticed his approaching figure. In just a blink of an eye, he swept her off her feet and the two were in the air. Her vision shaken, she looked around to see her feet dangling.

The monster drew closer as her hand gripped onto his shirt, holding it tight while she rested her head on his chest. He readied his sword, preparing his final attack and instantly cut down the hollow. It's form dissipated into dust and there disappeared the terrorizing creature.

Regardless of everything, she kept a hold of him as Karin felt the gentle flow of wind while they descended. Her feet met the ground and, slowly yet steadily, stood up by herself.

Quickly, she attempted to let go until she felt the soft hold of his. His hand gently grip on hers as a streak of red stained her cheeks. He didn't speak nor did he actually knew what to say. His body had acted out on his own and never in a million years would he think to find himself here.

To his surprise, instead of rejecting, she wrapped her hands around his. The warmth of her palms on his while his chest tightens. Something about her touch made it feel so electrifying all over his skin.

"...So," She dug into her pocket and showed him her phone screen, " You texted me? That's new."

Embarrassed, he looked away to avoid the smug face she had on him.

" It's nothing crazy."

She gazed at him cheekily, " Oh really now?"

He turned to face her to defend himself, only to find her lips on his.

Soft. Just like last time. She was about to part away until his hand instinctively held onto the back of her head and his face leaned forward.

She responded back, taking the lead as they stood outside in the cool of the night. He was too lost and couldn't concentrate on anything else, only on her - only on her lips and the way she was holding him.

Finally, they took a break as heavy breaths of air left their lips, eyes looking in awe at each other. His face reddened when registering that fact while she smiled at his nervousness.

" What's up?" She noticed the tension on his face as her head tilted to the side.

He worked up the courage and caution as his eyes stared into hers. " I..." he paused, hesitating before he composed himself.

"... _I like you_."

She pretended to not hear, perking her ears closer to him, " What?! Can you say that louder?"

He frowned, " You heard me!"

" Nope!" She shook her head playfully and waited. He heaved another sigh and repeated himself.

" I like you. Clear enough?!"

She nodded, her grip on his hand even tighter than before.

" I like you too. Toshiro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this old and short fic I wrote on Hitsukarin. I'm a major sucker for this ship even though I knew they never officially met and how rare it is. But, tbh, that one episode in bleach where they met in the filler episode of the anime was what sealed the deal for me.


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